Maidment presented a report on the combined fire department during the Little Rapids annual general meeting on Monday night and reiterated his stance Wednesday during a telephone interview.
“It’s amazing how much of a difference it’s made,” he said.
The two departments trained together and responded to calls together for years, but officially became one entity in November 2011. Following about a year of work getting a regional fire committee formed, the first joint budget was submitted in 2013.
The biggest improvement Maidment has seen is the number of people who have been properly trained and are available to respond. He said as many as 10 people are typically ready and willing every night, whereas that would be a “busy night” in the past.
He also points to a recent inspection of the two parts of the regionalized department by the Provincial Fire Commissioner’s Office which produced zero “unacceptable” items, with improvements only suggested in equipment upgrading and record keeping.
Like with any merger — in this case, between a municipality and a local service district — there’s bound to be differences of opinion, Maidment said.
He wouldn’t elaborate specifically on where the areas of concern lie, other than to say it’s all pertaining to the administrative side, but he stressed how impressed he is the department has gotten as far as it has up to this point. He believes it will only continue to grow and get better.
Amendments to the memorandum of agreement between the two departments have been suggested by Little Rapids, he said, but he has yet to see what they are and isn’t sure when that will even occur.
“I’m not too concerned about it until it hits my hands,” he said.
Looking at the big picture, Maidment said regionalization was a pivotal and necessary step for the two departments and feels other small communities should follow suit.
Regionalization, he said, is the key.
“Without a doubt, it’s the only way small departments are going to survive. Bar none.”
Twitter:@WS_CCQ
Maidment presented a report on the combined fire department during the Little Rapids annual general meeting on Monday night and reiterated his stance Wednesday during a telephone interview.
“It’s amazing how much of a difference it’s made,” he said.
The two departments trained together and responded to calls together for years, but officially became one entity in November 2011. Following about a year of work getting a regional fire committee formed, the first joint budget was submitted in 2013.
The biggest improvement Maidment has seen is the number of people who have been properly trained and are available to respond. He said as many as 10 people are typically ready and willing every night, whereas that would be a “busy night” in the past.
He also points to a recent inspection of the two parts of the regionalized department by the Provincial Fire Commissioner’s Office which produced zero “unacceptable” items, with improvements only suggested in equipment upgrading and record keeping.
Like with any merger — in this case, between a municipality and a local service district — there’s bound to be differences of opinion, Maidment said.
He wouldn’t elaborate specifically on where the areas of concern lie, other than to say it’s all pertaining to the administrative side, but he stressed how impressed he is the department has gotten as far as it has up to this point. He believes it will only continue to grow and get better.
Amendments to the memorandum of agreement between the two departments have been suggested by Little Rapids, he said, but he has yet to see what they are and isn’t sure when that will even occur.
“I’m not too concerned about it until it hits my hands,” he said.
Looking at the big picture, Maidment said regionalization was a pivotal and necessary step for the two departments and feels other small communities should follow suit.
Regionalization, he said, is the key.
“Without a doubt, it’s the only way small departments are going to survive. Bar none.”
Twitter:@WS_CCQ
